Daily Musings

Big Cypress: White-tailed Deer

March 4, 2010 By Drew Fulton 3 Comments

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) feeding in swamp - Kirby Storter, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

White-tailed Deer live in the Everglades and Big Cypress but they are seen only occasionally. I probably can describe each and every encounter I had with them during my time down here in 2005. They are very secretive and aren’t out in the open much. I think that the tall grasses also help to hide them from visitors.

Prior to this trip, I had only photographed them in the Everglades once and the image is far from special. The image I have been using in my book and whenver I talk about deer on my website is from farther north in Florida, though still in what would have been the historical Everglades. Now I have new images!

Big Cypress: Dusk, Cypress, and Grass

March 3, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

Bald Cypress Trunk - Kirby Storter Boardwalk, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

One of my favorite spots in all of Big Cypress National Preserve is the boardwalk at Kirby Storter. It’s a beautiful cypress dome that always has something going on and typically a surprise for the careful and patient observer. I’ve spent a couple evenings there since I have returned and seen deer feeding belly deep in the water, a turkey feeding in the canopy of a tree, a Swallow-tailed Kite fly over with a warbler in its talons, and so much more.

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Filed Under: Daily Musings, Featured Photo Tagged With: Bald Cypress, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, Grass, Sunset, Trunk

Big Cypress: Fog, Prairie, and Palms

March 2, 2010 By Drew Fulton 2 Comments

Fog, Palms, and Prairie - Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

As I am always attempting to make interesting images out of difficult situations, I had to try this the other night when a heavy fog rolled over the prairie just after sunset. Before I explain what my goal for the image was, take a minute to study it.

Now, click to read on and see if my idea actually worked.

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Filed Under: Daily Musings, Featured Photo, Florida Tagged With: Big Cypress National Preserve, fog, Palms, Prairie

Common Moorhen in Flight

February 28, 2010 By Drew Fulton 2 Comments

Common Moorhen (Fulica americana) in flight - Lake Jackson, Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, Florida

Continuing with the theme of something new and totally different, at least for me, I am posting this Common Moorhen. I rarely shoot anything like this, nearly an abstract. While unusual for me, I sort of like the image.

Great Blue Heron Takeoff

February 27, 2010 By Drew Fulton 3 Comments

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in Flight - Lake Jackson, Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, Florida

I put this image montage together a couple weeks back and wanted to share it. I’m not totally sure how I feel about it or even if it is exactly what I am after. I like the concept, and this is my first try.

I was photographing at Lake Jackson in the Prairie Lakes Unit of Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area south of Kissimmee when I saw this Great Blue Heron. He was too far away for a standard portrait so I decided to try something a little bit different. Since the bird looked agitated, like it might fly, I decided to try this.

What you are seeing is a series of frames showing the Great Blue Heron preparing for take off and then flying the first few wing beats. Each frame is stitched together, using the background as a reference. This allows you to see the path the bird takes as it leaves its perch to fly to the other side of the lake.

What do you think? Is this a successful image? Does it work for you? I want to know!

Filed Under: Daily Musings, Featured Photo Tagged With: flight, Great Blue Heron, image montage, takeoff

Great Birding and Even a Whale!

February 26, 2010 By Drew Fulton 4 Comments

Female Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) - Eco Pond, Everglades National Park, Florida

Last Saturday, I spent the day visiting Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Orlando Wetlands Park with a close friend of mine. Sean and I have known each other practically our entire lives and Sean is my only other friend who was interested in birds as a kid and will still go birding with me today. My dad joked that he should drive us on Saturday so that we could stand on the center console of his car with our heads sticking out the sunroof looking for birds. There was a time when we were kids that we both could do that at the same time. I don’t think we’d fit today.

In any case, we headed off to visit some of our old haunts and track down a couple specific birds. Our goals included a White-faced Ibis at Orlando Wetlands, a Painted Bunting at the same location, and then just a swing through Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to see what else we could find. We got all that and more…

Archbold: Rain, Rain, and more Rain!

February 2, 2010 By Drew Fulton 1 Comment

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) in the rain - Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid, Florida

The theme for my time here at Archbold Biological Station so far is rain, and lots of it. I arrived Monday about 8:00AM and it was sprinkling and it never really let up all day. Today, Tuesday, was a little bit better and I had a productive morning and evening with more rain in the early afternoon. Fortunately, I made the best use of that time and napped!

A Look at the Coming Week

January 31, 2010 By Drew Fulton Leave a Comment

Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) - Oscar Scherer State Park, Florida

I have spent the last few days at my parents’ home in Orlando regrouping, finishing up a few projects, preparing for upcoming projects, and getting some good sleep. It’s been a great break, but I am eager to get back into the field and that will be Monday at Archbold Biological Station in south central Florida where I will spend next week photographing Florida Scrub Jays.

Everglades: Tropical Sunset

January 28, 2010 By Drew Fulton 1 Comment

Florida Royal Palms (Roystonea elata) at Sunset - Royal Palm, Everglades National Park, Florida

Several of my favorite palm species are found in the Everglades and one of those is the Royal Palm. These magnificent trees are found only in tropical climates like that of South Florida. They have been planted throughout the Miami area, but they can be found naturally in the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp, particularly the area preserved by Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.

Everglades: Wood Stork

January 27, 2010 By Drew Fulton 3 Comments

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) in Flight - Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, Florida

Of all the wading birds found in the Everglades, the Wood Stork is possibly the ugliest. These large white birds with a bald head may not be the most beautiful of the wading birds, but they are quite interesting and the most endangered.